Genesis 4:1

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now ¹  the man had marital relations with ²  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant ³  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created ⁴  a man just as the Lord did!” ⁵ 

Genesis 16:8

16:8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from ⁶  my mistress, Sarai.”

Genesis 19:31

19:31 Later the older daughter said ⁷  to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby ⁸  to have sexual relations with us, ⁹  according to the way of all the world.

Genesis 21:10

21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish ¹⁰  that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”

Genesis 24:46

24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water.

Genesis 24:65

24:65 and asked ¹¹  Abraham’s servant, ¹²  “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. ¹³  So she took her veil and covered herself.

Genesis 25:22

25:22 But the children struggled ¹⁴  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ¹⁵  So she asked the Lord, ¹⁶ 

Genesis 29:35

29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. ¹⁷  Then she stopped having children.

Genesis 30:3

30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ¹⁸  her so that she can bear ¹⁹  children ²⁰  for me ²¹  and I can have a family through her.” ²² 

Genesis 30:6

30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer ²³  and given me a son.” That is why ²⁴  she named him Dan. ²⁵ 

Genesis 35:17

35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, ²⁶  the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” ²⁷ 

Genesis 38:17-18

38:17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” ²⁸  38:18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had sex with her. ²⁹  She became pregnant by him.

Genesis 38:29

38:29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. ³⁰  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ³¹  So he was named Perez. ³² 

Genesis 39:7

39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ³³  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ³⁴ 

Genesis 44:23

44:23 But you said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’

[4:1]  ¹ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

[4:1]  ² tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:1]  ³ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:1]  ⁴ tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.

[4:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

[16:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “from the presence of.”

[19:31]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”

[19:31]  ¹² tn Or perhaps “on earth,” in which case the statement would be hyperbolic; presumably there had been some men living in the town of Zoar to which Lot and his daughters had initially fled.

[19:31]  ¹³ tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.

[21:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “drive out.” The language may seem severe, but Sarah’s maternal instincts sensed a real danger in that Ishmael was not treating Isaac with the proper respect.

[24:65]  ²¹ tn Heb “and she said to.”

[24:65]  ²² tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:65]  ²³ tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[25:22]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.

[25:22]  ²⁷ tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.

[25:22]  ²⁸ sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.

[29:35]  ³¹ sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.

[30:3]  ³⁶ tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:3]  ³⁷ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.

[30:3]  ³⁸ tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:3]  ³⁹ tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.

[30:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).

[30:6]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.

[30:6]  ⁴² tn Or “therefore.”

[30:6]  ⁴³ sn The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.

[35:17]  ⁴⁶ tn The construction uses a Hiphil infinitive, which E. A. Speiser classifies as an elative Hiphil. The contrast is with the previous Piel: there “she had hard labor,” and here, “her labor was at its hardest.” Failure to see this, Speiser notes, has led to redundant translations and misunderstandings (Genesis [AB], 273).

[35:17]  ⁴⁷ sn Another son. The episode recalls and fulfills the prayer of Rachel at the birth of Joseph (Gen 30:24): “may he add” another son.

[38:17]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “until you send.”

[38:18]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:29]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “Look, his brother came out.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through the midwife’s eyes. The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ⁶² tn Heb “How you have made a breach for yourself!” The Hebrew verb translated “make a breach” frequently occurs, as here, with a cognate accusative. The event provided the meaningful name Perez, “he who breaks through.”

[38:29]  ⁶³ sn The name Perez means “he who breaks through,” referring to Perez reaching out his hand at birth before his brother was born. The naming signified the completion of Tamar’s struggle and also depicted the destiny of the tribe of Perez who later became dominant (Gen 46:12 and Num 26:20). Judah and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, thinking they could thwart God’s plan that the elder brothers should serve the younger. God demonstrated that principle through these births in Judah’s own family, affirming that the elder will serve the younger, and that Joseph’s leadership could not so easily be set aside. See J. Goldin, “The Youngest Son; or, Where Does Genesis 38 Belong?” JBL 96 (1977): 27-44.

[39:7]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.

[39:7]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.